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Cleopatra | A man in drag?

On the left, Waterhouse's portrait of Cleopatra: from a blog, post titled UGLY CLEOPATRA: "What Waterhouse has done is to combine the two contrastingpersonae of Cleopatra: the slender charismatic charmer who held men in her thrall and the power-craving, ruthless ruler who was not afraid to have herself portrayed as a man in drag. Her posture speaks volumes, too. She is seated on a throne to represent power. One arm akimbo, a gesture of authority often seen in parents, teachers and police when enforcing their rules. Her left arm rests on a lioness arm-rest of her throne, another symbol of power. But one of her mannish fingers is almost gouging out the lioness's eye. This reminds us that she was ruthless when she had to be."

Luke and me, seeking the Cleopatra appropriate height lady bun.


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